AMPED: Advanced Materials, Processes, and Energy Devices STC
The Advanced Materials, Processes and Energy Devices (AMPED) Science and Technology Center is an ASU research and development center supported by the Arizona New Economy Initiative. STCs are responsible for leveraging ASU-industry partnerships to enable research innovation, entrepreneurship and tech transfer in areas key to the future of Arizona’s economy.
The AMPED STC seeks to create the materials and devices needed for broad electrification of the energy sector and has three thrust areas: photovoltaics, batteries and power-electronic devices.
Photovoltaics
Focusing on increasing the efficiency and reliability of solar cells while decreasing the cost of building and installing solar cells through enhanced learning cycles, research and industry collaborations.
Batteries
Working to increase the power density of batteries while decreasing battery size through new materials and process and manufacturing techniques to improve the future of power storage.
Power electronics
Moving power efficiently between storage, transmission and devices and moving power from DC to AC using novel techniques, unique materials and new manufacturing processes.
Connect with AMPED
AMPED STC and Higherwire: Sustainable solutions for battery use
From consumer electronics to e-bikes and electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries are ubiquitous — and when they inevitably run out of power, they are sent to recyclers and destroyed or end up in landfills. Trevor Warren, an alumnus of ASU and ASU’s Thunderbird School of Global Management, discovered that up to two-thirds of these batteries are still usable for low- and medium-power applications, and founded Higherwire to find ways of giving them a second life. In partnership with researchers at ASU’s Advanced Materials, Processes, and Energy Devices Science and Technology Center, Higherwire is advancing new commercial applications for repurposed batteries.
The impact of Higherwire’s technology could be enormous: by 2035, leftover batteries from electric vehicles are projected to produce enough energy storage to power 38 million homes in the U.S. Higherwire aims to launch a green energy revolution starting here in Arizona, partnering with cities in metro Phoenix to source batteries and exploring a project to build and deploy power converter systems for disadvantaged, off-grid communities in the Navajo Nations in northern Arizona.
For Warren, ASU’s combination of technical and business expertise is proving critical to success:
“We chose to work with ASU because they’re a global organization. They’re leaders in research as well as working with small businesses like ours. We are able to minimize our cost because of the research ASU performs, and that allows me to hire on more people and make a greater impact, not just in the state of Arizona, but in the nation as a whole.“
AMPED STC and ZEVX: Creating the Electric Valley
The rapid growth in popularity and sales of electric vehicles offers a unique opportunity for Arizona to become a national leader in the industry — and for metropolitan Phoenix to become a hub for EV manufacturing that is already being called the “Electric Valley.” This is the vision of Jim Maury, the President of ZEVX, a technology manufacturer of battery and power systems for the commercial EV market. Maury co-founded ZEVX with his son Charles, the company’s Chief Technology Officer and an ASU mathematics alumnus who developed ZEVX patents through ASU’s SkySong incubator. Charles describes the advantages of working with ASU’s AMPED STC:
“ASU is giving us an opportunity to bring something to market faster than we normally would through testing, collaboration, and extremely high expertise in fields of power electronics… It gives us new insights to improve vehicle efficiency that ultimately help our customers.”
Nearly half of ZEVX’s 45 employees are ASU alumni, and working with AMPED provides opportunities for the company to accelerate hiring and talent development through access to students and internships. Jim is optimistic that collaboration with ASU will not only allow ZEVX to succeed, but also create dividends for the state of Arizona:
“This could be an exciting place for the entire EV industry… It’s the knowledge transfer and having a university partner that’s critical for a company of our size, that doesn’t have the capacity or funding to build test facilities, to help us to create and validate credible solutions for the marketplace. This is how we advance Arizona’s EV ecosystem.”